Are You Playing With The Correct Racket?

One of the most frequent questions that is asked in tennis is advice about tennis rackets. Players will often ask, for example, “I play with the Babolat Pure Aero and I want to switch to the Yonex Ezone. Do you think this is a good idea”. The problem is these are really difficult questions to answer. That is why today we will clear everything up about which racket you should be using and why.

Today’s Rackets

First of all, I do need to mention that there are absolutely differences when you're talking about the high level rackets. We know there are differences in head sizes, stiffness, and weight; but generally speaking there is not much difference in which racket you're going to be using in theory. What’s more, the reality is there's not gonna be much difference in your game based on what racket you're playing with as long as we're talking about a modern racket.

I can prove this to you because I went out and hit a few shots with an Ezone 98 and a Pro Staff 97. Ironically, the only shot that I missed came with the racket that I use, which is the Pro Staff. Thus, my point is that your game is really not going to differentiate that much based on what racket you’re using.

Two Types of Players

Does this mean your racket preference doesn’t matter? Absolutely not. This does not mean that it doesn't matter what racket you play with. However, this brings up the point of there being players that are sensitive to equipment, while others are not. Personally, I am extremely sensitive, so it's going to turn out that I can feel every little difference in the racket.

The way this works is all mental, for if I'm playing with a different racket and I miss a backhand I’m going to immediately blame the racket. This is the natural thing that tennis players do. We have to try to find blame somewhere. Naturally, it's going to go towards the racquet because it feels a little bit different, when in fact, we tend to magnify insignificant little changes.

Now, is this a mental problem that needs to be fixed on a player? Absolutely not. It's perfectly okay to be like that. You're either going to be that type of personality when it comes to rackets or you're not going to care at all.

Recreational Level

When it comes to the recreational level, there are certain rules that need to be followed when it comes to rackets. What I mean is there are loads of mistakes that players make when they choose the wrong racket to play with. Doing this will most likely lead to problems like injuries, and especially tennis elbow.

Thus, here are my recommendations for the rec level. If you are a beginner, you should choose a racket that's between 250 and 270 grams. If you are an intermediate player you should choose a racket that's between 270 and 300 grams. If you are a high level recreational player, let's say 5.0 level, you should choose a racket that's between 300 and 320 grams.

The guidelines I just provided are very important to me because beginners will commonly pick up a racket that's 300 grams, which is way too heavy. Another example is seeing some advanced recreational players who will play with the racket that's more for elite level players. Usually, they end up putting lead on their rackets and make them extremely heavy, possibly leading to some frustrating injuries.

Free Trip to the Doctor

Playing with a racket that is within your weight category is important because with age, your athletic abilities are going to decline. Therefore, the racket weight needs to go down and not up, because with a lighter racket and less athleticism, it's going to be way easier to play tennis.

I must also tell you guys about being careful with the amount of lead you add to your racket. All of us see so many players these days with tennis elbow it's rampant currently. Whether it's the strings that are being strung too tight or it's the rackets that are simply too heavy, just be careful. However, the only exception would be players that are really strong, since if the racket is too light it's not going to work for them.

Grip size is another important thing when it comes to tennis rackets. The best measurement that I can give you for grip size is simply measuring from your heel pad to your index interior knuckle. For me, the distance is 4⅜ inches, so I would buy a racket with a 4⅜ inch grip.

What do you recommend?

When it comes to specific brands or specific models of rackets I cannot give you any recommendations. The problem is this is a highly individual thing. There is a reason why there are so many different racket companies. If you pick up several demos from the same weight category, these rackets are going to be very similar. In the end you will simply like one more than the others.

Final Thoughts

However, the best tip that I can give you when it comes to switching rackets is to demo four rackets. If I try them all out and I don't like the racket right away in the first five minutes, that racket is not going to work for me. I can assure you it won’t be a circumstance where the racket feels terrible first, and then you fall in love with it. Instead, you have to immediately fall in love with a new racquet that you're trying. If that's the case, then that might be the new racket for you.